Don't Give Up, Pretty Girl
by othorbust3
Summary: Right after the renewal of Haley & Nathan's wedding vows, there was the wreck. That day, everything changed. Brooke left Tree Hill, leaving everything that had ever really meant anything to her. Her friends. Her school. Her Lucas. Sometimes they come back
1. You Left Your World It Never Left You

"Lucas?" Brooke called through the hard rain. She knew he wasn't there; nor was he _going_ to be there. Not now...she'd ruined that one already. But saying his name made the thought feel good, and that's all she wanted right then. To feel good. And he was the only thing that ever truly did that.

The rain kept coming down harder and harder on her head, never ending. Brooke fought to pull up her hood over her head, and she crossed her arms to her chest. Where was she left to go now? Her parents had written her off long before now for numerous things, Peyton was on and out of her life, no thanks to Brooke's pride, and Lucas? She pushed him out too. Just because she was "afraid". The one thing she truly loved in her life; the one thing that loved her for _her_. And she pushed it out.

Brooke had nowhere to go. She was alone. But she was back in Tree Hill, and that was a start. She'd left Tree Hill right after she broke things off with him. About 2 weeks after Haley and Nathan renewed their wedding vows. About a week after Nathan recovered from the accident; about a week after Cooper's funeral. Quite frankly, she was surprised she made it that far.

Peyton accused her of "not even loving" him. How could Brooke not love him? That boy was everything to her. _Everything_, plus her life, plus more. Without him, there _was_ no her. And she knew it. But maybe, _maybe_ Peyton was right.

She wasn't. And Brooke just now figured that out. A month later, hoping it wasn't too late.

Brooke sat down on the curb, right across the street from Karen's Cafe. She just watched inside it from across the street. She wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them close to her chest. A place that was just like home not too long ago, seemed like a whole different life now. Not to her, no. To them? She wasn't in it anymore. The cafe was packed, just like every other Friday night after the big game. Cheerleaders, jocks, even random kids that just wanted to eat there. Friends congregated in there making it the ultimate go-to spot of Tree Hill.

Then she saw him. He walked around the counter, sliding a rag across it to someone who was standing by a sink. He wasn't smiling. Part of her hoped that he hadn't smiled since she'd left, part of her hoped that he'd move on and just stop making her feel the way she felt.

Inside the cafe, Lucas slid up on a stool across from his mom. They'd just won the championship game, and he was ecstatic, even though it was hard to ever be happy without her. He didn't know what true happiness even _was_ until he met Brooke Davis.

"Luke! Congratulations!" Haley said as she ran from around the counter and hugged her best friend.

He hugged her back with a smile. "Too bad I didn't play, huh?" he said.

"Oh, but you're still part of the team. And the team won playoffs. So congrats..?" She smiled, as she tried to make sense of her logic.

He nodded. "Where'd Nathan go? I thought he said he was going to come by."

"He is. He went home first to change and shower and stuff. I promised your mom I'd come by to help her out, I figured it'd be crazy in here tonight."

Lucas looked around and nodded, cupping his hands. "Yeah...it's been good for her."

Haley nodded, and then took a second look at Lucas, noticing her best friend wasn't happy. She knew he was hurting still at Brooke's absence. She knew he missed her like crazy, and she was **positive** that he was still in love with her like no other. It was just going to have to take him some convincing this time. That is, if Brooke ever came back.

"Haven't talked to her?" Haley finally asked, pursing her lips.

Lucas looked at her quickly. "What?" he asked. "Who."

"_Who_," she repeated. "Seriously, Luke. Who am I referring to?"

Lucas looked down at his hands and shrugged. "I don't know where she's at, Hales. She hasn't called in a long time now."

"So call _her_," Haley said. "The phone goes both ways you know."

"Haley. She left _me_. She broke up with _me_. I shouldn't have to go chase her..." Lucas said slowly, realizing what he was saying.

Haley shrugged. "Who else is going to do it?"

Lucas shook his head. "I don't even care anymore. I'm over it. She...she doesn't know what she wants. So...I'm over it. I'm over all of it..."

"But you're not over _her_."

Lucas looked at her, not saying anything, when Peyton sat down next to him. He looked next to him to see who it was, but looked back at his hands.

"I know, not the thrill it used to be, huh?" Peyton joked.

Lucas chuckled a little bit.

"What's up?" Peyton asked to no one in particular.

"Nothing," Haley said for him. She knew as well as anyone else that Brooke was an iffy subject around Peyton. Especially when she was around _Lucas_ at the same time. "Just talking about tonight's game."

Peyton nodded. "Pretty sweet, huh? Playoff Champs!"

Lucas forced a smile and nodded. "I know, I know. It's amazing."

Brooke wiped her eyes from the rain, the tears, at that point she couldn't tell which was which. She looked up from the ground, where she'd been staring for some reason, and saw someone walking down the sidewalk. _There's nothing opened at this time of night on this side of the street_, Brooke thought to herself,_ now go across the street and have fun with the rest of my world_.

But the body kept coming. As it got closer, she recognized the walk.

"Brooke, what are you doing out here!" Nathan asked, pulling her up from the ground.

She pulled her drenched hood down, realizing it was now doing her no good. "I don't know," was all she could say. She _didn't_ know what she was doing, actually.

"Well come inside, you're going to get sick," he told her. He started to walk across the street, with his hand on her back to lead her, but she didn't budge. He looked down in her eyes.

"Nathan, Lucas is in there. And Peyton. And everyone else that hates me. Speaking of which, _why are you even talking to me right now_?" she said.

"Nobody hates you."

Brooke scoffed, and sat back down on 'her' curb at once. "Wanna make a survey outa that one? I have my money on me," she said. "_Wait_, I forgot. I _have_ no money, my parents hate me too."

"Brooke, quit the freakin act. And quit feeling sorry for yourself. _You_ left Lucas. _You_ just left Tree Hill like it meant nothing to you. And it was _you_ who walked out of your world. It never left _you_."

She nodded. "You're right," she said, as her voice choked up again. "And yeah, I've regretted it. That's why I'm out here, and not in there. I can't talk to them. _I_ can't look them in the eye. In fact, I wouldn't even be talking to you if you didn't force me to-"

-"Go talk to them. Especially _him_," Nathan said. "Brooke, Luke's a wreck without you. He _loves_ you. Not-"  
"-and Peyton, too."

"Peyton," he said. "Brooke. Lucas does not love Peyton. He loves _you_. How many times is someone going to have to tell you that until you realize it?"

"I only get told. Well...I only _got_ told," she said, she had tears in her eyes. Nathan sat down on the curb with her. "But he looked like he loved her more than me."

"It's not true," Nathan said, lowering his tone. "Just...just go in there and talk to him."

"I can't."  
"Why not?"

"I wouldn't want to talk to me either," she said as she looked at Nathan. "He's not going to want to talk to me."

Haley looked at her watch. "_Where's Nathan_?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Call him up," Peyton said, hitting the countertop.

"Gosh, it's _crazy_ out there," said Rachel, as she walked through the door and walked over to them, pulling her hood off her head.

They all just agreed without saying anything.

"Haley, Nathan's out there with some girl," Rachel said.

"Whatever."

"No. I'm serious. It sure looked like him over there anyways. He's sitting on the curb..."

Haley walked around the counter and headed to the door just to look. She tried to make out the body next to him for a distance. "Oh my gosh." _She_ knew who that girl was. Haley turned around and walked over to the counter.

"Who is it?" Peyton asked.

Haley widened her eyes and looked at Peyton, then to Lucas. "Oh my gosh."

"Hales, who is it?"

"Brooke," she whispered.

Lucas felt a shock go through his whole entire body. It's crazy how that girl's name made him do that _every single time_. Lucas looked out the window at the figure next to Nathan, who was now standing up. He nodded. It was her. He knew that body like his own, if not better. His Brooke had come back.

Peyton looked at Lucas and leaned her chin in her hands with a heavy sigh.

"Lucas, what're you still doing in here?" Haley asked him. "Go. Go out there right now."  
Lucas looked at her, and then back out there. He couldn't just talk to her and make everything okay just like _that_. But, he _certainly_ couldn't just leave her out there, now alone. He heard the bell on the door ring, accompanied by Nathan.

Nathan walked over to him, but Lucas spoke up first. "Don't talk to me, I know."

"Get out of here."  
"I can't talk to her," Lucas said. "I can't act like everything's all right."  
"Then _don't_. But if you don't go out there, don't expect _her_ to make the first move," Nathan said. "That girl is as stubborn and narrow minded as...you."  
Lucas wanted to smile at that one, because it was true. Lucas sighed and walked over to the door. Brooke wasn't sitting on the curb anymore. She was gone. "Wha-?" Lucas pushed the door and ran outside. He looked around, both sides of the street, up and down them. He saw her walking the opposite direction slowly.

He ran across the street after her. Once he got a little closer to her, a reachable distance, he slowed down. "Brooke," he said. He winced as soon as he heard himself say her name.

Brooke felt a chill go through her body, and stopped. Did she really just hear what she thought she heard? She turned around just to see. And there he stood. 3 feet from her was the man she came back for. _All_ she came back for.

They just stared at each other, neither of them knowing what to say. The rain was pounding harder, but it didn't take their eyes off of each other.

"_Why, Brooke_?" was all he said.

Brooke crossed her arms to her chest tightly, wishing he could just hold her again; protect her from the world, the pain, everything. He shielded everything that hurt her, and now without him? It was killing her.

Lucas put his hands up. "I...have nothing to say." He took a step back, starting to give up.  
"I love you, Lucas."

Lucas was breathing harder and he looked away.

"I...," she started to cry. "I can't do this. Not now."

Lucas put his hands in his pockets, not saying anything.

Brooke shook her head and turned back around to walk. She got about 5 steps before she heard, "Don't give up, Pretty Girl."

She stopped and turned around. "What?"

Lucas watched her, not knowing how else to say it, to make her understand that he didn't want them to end this. Ever. That he loved her too much just to throw it all away with risks of misunderstandings.

"Lucas, I couldn't take it anymore," she said. Tears formed in her eyes. "You were obviously in love with Peyton, and probably still are. And...I just couldn't get hurt again, okay? I needed to leave you before you hurt me more again."

Lucas walked closer to her. "Is that what you thought? That I was in love with Peyton?"

She looked at him confusedly, and nodded. "You _were_, Lucas. You might tell me now that you weren't, and that you loved me, but you loved _her_ too. I...I couldn't do it. I'm sorry."

"Brooke, listen to me," he said. "I was _not_ in love with Peyton. I was in love with _you_. I still am. Not Peyton. Ever."

She shook her head and took a couple of steps back. "I...gotta go."

"Brooke! Stop!"

She kept walking, and he let her go. What else was he supposed to do?

"Well where's she at now!" Haley asked him, after he explained everything that'd happened. It was just them two sitting in the cafe; Lucas promised his mom they'd clean up and close it up so she could get home and rest. Besides, he didn't want to go home.

Lucas shrugged. "I don't know," he said, looking outside, seeing that it was still raining hard as ever. He was worrying about her again, but he didn't want to. He couldn't help _not_ to though.

"And...you're sitting here. Acting like you don't care," Haley said, taking a drink of her hot chocolate.

"Well it's not like I can do anything _now_," he defended himself. "Who _knows_ where she's at?"

"Exactly."

Lucas looked at her. "Don't turn this around on me-"

"-Lucas, she came back to Tree Hill. _Obviously_, it was for _you_. What more are you wanting her to do?" Haley asked. Brooke _had_ left them all, but Brooke was still good friends with Haley, despite the fact that _she_ hadn't even heard from her while she was gone. "And it's not like she could go far in _this_ town. Especially tonight..."

Lucas bit his bottom lip and looked back outside. "God, where'd she go?"

"Knowing her, probably on some bench. Stubborn..."

Lucas held up his hand. "I get it."

Haley looked at her watch. "Look," she said. "I got to get home, Nathan should be back from Tim's by now."

Lucas slid off of his stool and put their mugs in the dishwasher.

Haley walked over to the door and put her hood up. "Okay, fine," she said. "I'll call her, all right?" She knew that he was insinuating on that all night, but she just now decided to give in.

"Thank you, Hales. Thank you." He walked over to the door, both of them anticipating walking out into the storm. "Let me know if you get ahold of her and stuff. I...yeah."

"And I'll tell her to call you, and she'll agree to it right away, and you two will live happily ever after." Haley nodded at her fake optimism. "There's a plan."

Lucas smirked. "Yeah," he said. "Just let me know something, okay?"

She nodded. "I'll call tomorrow." And they both pushed out of the door, heading opposite directions.

"And why did you walk here again?" Lucas asked himself, as he opened his door. He'd hoped, with every part of him that he'd see Brooke's body laying on his bed; just like she'd been the night of the memorial party she threw at the school. But there was no body. No Brooke.

He walked into his room and took off his wet shirt. He walked to his closet and looked through his sweatshirts, pulling out his Keith Auto Body gray hoody. Brooke loved that sweatshirt. He slipped it over his head; he could smell her scent in it. It was like both of their scents had collaborated into one, and it was perfection to him...

Haley walked into her apartment at about 11:30 and found Nathan laying on the couch flipping through channels. He sat up when he saw her come in. "Where've you been?"

"Oh, talking to Lucas," Haley said, as she sat down on the couch next to him. Nathan shut off the tv.

"So what happened with Brooke and Lucas?"

Haley sighed with a shrug. "Never heard from Brooke again. And Lucas came back in and said he talked to her. I'm supposed to call her tonight..."

"They're not together?"

Haley pursed her lips and shook her head. "No. And we don't know where Brooke went...I was hoping maybe she'd be here."

Nathan looked around. "I haven't seen her."

"Hmm," she thought. "Nathan, it's storming like crazy out there. Should we go find her? I mean...for _her_. Not to push her or anything."

"Haley, Lucas and Brooke need to be together," Nathan said flatly. "Push or no push; they need each other. And they know it, we know it. Everyone does."

"Well what're we supposed to do?" she asked raising her shoulders.

Brooke walked to her old house. She stopped in front of it and stared, getting drenched by the neverending raidpour. A memory sweeped through her mind: _"What are you gonna miss most about me?" _

"I can only choose one thing?"

"Yes, and it has to be something good. Not...how much you'll miss hanging out with me, or how hot I am."

"Mm...neither one of those, huh?"

"No."

"I'm gonna miss the girl behind the red door."

Lucas. He's been there all along. It seems like a totally different life back when they were just good friends; she almost wanted _that_ back. But she knew that was gone. It was now them as a couple, or no "them" at all. She just wanted him back.

She felt the phone against her thigh in her pocket vibrate, and she opened it, running closer to her old house to get out of the storm. She sat on the porch. "Hello?" It was too dark to see her caller id.

"Brooke. Where the hell are you?" she heard.

It certainly wasn't Lucas's voice, that's all she knew. "Nathan."  
"Are you outside somewhere?"

"Sorta," she said, watching the storm. She was shaking, being drenched from head to toe sure took its tolls.

"Where are you?" he asked again.

"At...my house."  
"Your house," he repeated. "And considering you're basically _homeless_...this would be...?"  
"At my old house, Nathan."  
"You know the people living there or something?" he asked. This was the most he's talken to her in a long time.

"No."

He scoffed and shook his head. "Get out of the storm, Brooke."

"I'm not going to Lucas's, if that's what you're insinuating," she said, stubbornly.

"I'm not _insinuating_ anything. Me and Haley just want you out of the freaking rain."

"Let me talk to Haley real fast, please," Brooke said. She'd missed her other best friend.

"Promise you'll do something."

"What?"  
"I think you know," he said. Then he was off the other end before Brooke could say another word.

"Brooke," she heard Haley's voice.

"Ahh, Haley," Brooke said, feeling a sense of relief to hear her voice on the other end.


	2. Tutorgirl Help Session

"Apparently better than you, I hear," she said with a low laugh. "Brooke, where are you"  
"Sitting on a porch out of the rain." She pushed wet hair out of her face. "Who's porch?" she asked. "Lucas's"  
"Are you kidding me? Try my old house's. Haley, this house looks so different. I want it back"  
"Brooke get out of the rain. And off other people's property, while you're at it," Haley told her. "Come over here"  
"Mhm. Then Nathan can lecture my butt off until I go to Lucas's. I'm better off out here," Brooke said.  
"No, Brooke. Contrary to popular belief, he just wants you safe. Like me. And like Lucas. And, heck, even like Peyton. Just come here and go to bed. We can figure out the rest in the morning"  
"Peyton. Did she say something about me"  
"Yeah. But...not anything, really, actually," Haley said.  
"What"  
"She didn't say anything," Haley clarified.  
Brooke was sort of disappointed. Sure, Peyton was officially her least favorite person in the world, but she still had that part of her that wanted to know her former best friend cared. "You coming"  
"Yes," Brooke snapped out of it. "Yeah I'll be there. But don't try to pull anything"  
"Brooke, seriously. What am I going to pull"  
"Lucas better not be there," Brooke said blatantly.  
"Would I do that to you"  
"Haley, do not call him. Please," Brooke said. "And yes, you would. You'd configure inside your deeky little head that it would somehow make things better right now"  
Haley laughed.  
"Honestly? I just want to be with my best friend tonight. I can't...I can't see him, Haley. It kills like no other," Brooke said with sincerity. Or...as much as she was going to portray right now, anyways.  
"I'm not calling him over here, Brooke. I promise"  
Brooke stood up and started to walk back down the path away from her old home. "Thank you. Bye"  
"You're seriously not calling Lucas?" Nathan asked, seeing that Haley shut her phone.  
"No way. Brooke would come, have a cow, her cow would have a cow, then she'd leave. Plus...she needs to get things straightened out on herself first," Haley said, looking at Nathan. "Look, you're tired. And plus, when Brooke gets here, she's probably under a lot of stress...and she's...I'll just wait for her, all right"  
Nathan looked at her and nodded, understanding where she was getting at. "Girl stuff. Got it." He leaned down and kissed her. "Good night, Hales"  
"Night." She smiled as she watched him walk back to their room and shut the door.  
It was about 5 minutes later when Haley heard someone at the door. "No way," she said out loud. How did Brooke walk there that quick?  
She walked over to the door and opened it. "Have you heard from her yet?" Lucas asked, walking in the apartment.  
"Lucas"  
He walked into the living room and sat down on the couch arm. "I figured maybe she'd be at my house...she definitely wasn't"  
"Luke, she's on her way here," Haley said hesitantly.  
He looked up quickly at her. "Really? Now"  
She nodded. "You can't be here though. Brooke...I promised her I wouldn't call you over here, and that's the only way I got her here. Luke, she was outside her old house in the rain. She has nowhere to go; she won't go anywhere else"  
"She's...not going to talk to me, is she"  
"She will eventually," Haley said. "Just give her time. She's going through a lot; more than we know, I think"  
Lucas nodded. "Is Nathan back there"  
"Yes, Lucas, but you can't stay here"  
He laughed. "Why not? I'm not going to come out"  
"Luke. Please. Leave!" Haley said, walking him to the door. "Go"  
"Well, Hales, how do you really feel about me?" he joked, back stepping to the door.  
"I hate you. Stay out of my life forever. Now go," she said.  
"I'm going, I'm going. Look...will you just...try to get her to see me? I don't know, pretend you're on my side, maybe?" he asked.  
"I'm not taking sides. You two need to be on the same side, that's your problem," Haley said, stopping at the door, holding it open for him.  
"I'm on Brooke's side. Always will be"  
"That's great. Wonderful. Sweet, and charming," Haley said. "But she's going to be here, Lucas. Please leave"  
"I'm gone." He turned around and walked out the door. As he walked down the stairs from her apartment, he saw a body walking toward him from the light of the moon. He knew who it was. But he stood in the shadow against the building to let her walk on by without seeing him. Haley was right; let her have tonight to herself, man he thought to himself. As she walked by, she got slower as she neared the steps. She had her arms crossed to her chest and she looked freezing; ever so beautiful at the same time. He gawked at her beauty; holding all that he had in him from going up to her and just holding her. But he knew he had to let her go up. Seeing that she was safe held him over enough for then, and she was out of his sight.  
Brooke opened the door, it being unlocked, and walked right in. "Brooke!" Haley got up from the couch and walked over to her, hoping to God that she didn't see Lucas on the way in. Brooke gave her best friend a half-hearted smiled and hugged her. "Brooke, you're drenched. I'll get you some towels and clothes," Haley said. "Here sit down." Brooke took a blanket and wrapped up in it till Haley came back with dry stuff. When she did, she quickly changed into them, which consisted of sweat pants and a long-underwear top.  
Haley sat down on the couch, as Brooke wrapped back up in her blanket and flopped in the big chair.  
"Okay," Haley said. "Talk to me"  
Brooke raised her eyebrows. "About"  
Haley threw a pillow at her. "You know...I thought you said you weren't calling Lucas over here," Brooke said, with a quizzical expression on her face.  
"What? He's not here"  
"Yeah? Well he sure was standing down there by the staircase," Brooke stated flatly.  
Crap, Haley thought to herself. "Did you...talk to him"  
Brooke swallowed hard and shook her head. "He tried to hide in the shadows. I'm guessing you told him not to be seen"  
Haley gave an innocent smile. "And he didn't do a good job"  
Brooke shook her head. "No. I saw him. But...I didn't let him know I saw him"  
Haley cocked her head to the side. "Are you sure he saw you? He was pretty set on staying to see you tonight. I had to push him out the door"  
Brooke shrugged. "He was watching me. I could feel him," she said, simply.  
"That's amazing"  
Brooke looked at her questioningly.  
"How you can feel him looking at you, I mean. It's nidnight, pitch black outside, and storming like crazy. He hides in the dark, you can't see him at all, but you still know he's there. Because you can feel him. Brooke, doesn't that tell you..oh..that you belong together"  
She bit her lip. "Probably...maybe...I don't know"  
"And he told me tonight that you told him you loved him," Haley said, trying to make sense of the situation. She knew her friend wasn't telling her something, but she didn't want to push it out of her by any means.  
Brooke pulled onto her blanket tighter and nodded. "Haley, do you think it's possible to be in love with two people at once"  
She was shocked to hear this question come from her, but considered it anyways. "Well...as far as I'm concerned, there's only one person out there for everyone. Sure, we have our doubts sometimes...but in the end, there's still that one person for you. So...no. I don't think you can be truly in love with two people. You're always going to feel something deeper for one over the other," Haley explained. "You know"  
Brooke sighed and shook her head, trying to decipher everything.  
"Brooke...," Haley said. "Who...do you think you're in love with other than Lucas"  
She widened her eyes. "No one. Haley it's not me"  
"Oh, thank God"  
"...What if," Brooke started again. "What if someone's the one for you...but you're not the one for them"  
It didn't take long for Haley to realize who Brooke was referring to. "Brooke. Listen to me," Haley said. "You are more right for Lucas than he is for you. And that right there is saying a lot, actually"  
"But what about Peyton?" Brooke asked flatly. "She loves him too, you know. What makes it right for me and not her"  
"What?" Haley asked. She couldn't believe what Brooke just said.  
"Peyton told me back at your rehearsal dinner that she had feelings for Lucas again," Brooke explained.  
"Is that what this whole Brooke vs. Peyton WW3 is all about?!" She'd finally connected the dots. "It all makes sense now"  
"Haley, stay with me here"  
"Sorry," she said. "Does Lucas know this"  
Brooke shrugged. "I don't know, but I really hope so"  
"Brooke, it doesnt matter if he didn't. Lucas is head over heals in love with you. Him knowing Peyton had feelings for him isn't going to stop him from his feelings about you"  
"Well it sure did the last time, huh?" Brooke snapped.  
"This isn't the same thing as last time!" Haley said. "I knew Lucas like Peyton last year. Even when he was with you, I knew he liked Peyton more"  
"-where are you going with this"  
"He liked Peyton, Brooke. A lot," Haley continued. "But then he got to know you. He met the real Brooke Davis and he fell in love with her. Trust me, I know. I got to hear all about it"  
Brooke drew back her tension.  
"Those feelings toward you haven't changed, Brooke. If anything, they've progressed"  
"You're a real sweetheart, "Brooke said. "And if you were the one I was in love with, I'd kiss you right now. Too bad, huh"  
"I'm not kidding!" Haley threw her hair up in a ponytail.  
"Well true or not true, I need him to tell me. I need him to show me, Haley. I mean, he's got Peyton thinking he loves her. It must feel nice," Brooke vented on. "It's gotten so bad...he's got me thinking he loves her, too." She felt her throat choke up and tears welt up in her eyes. "And it scares me to death, Haley. I need that boy. I want to need him, too. I don't want anyone else with me. Otherwise...I'd be in California on some beach with some other surfer dude." She shook her head. "I don't want all those guys though. I really really want Lucas. I love him so much. It hurts. Bad, and I'm stupid for leaving him like this. I was just...scared. I was, and if I could just get over my stupid pride, I'd tell him so"  
Haley didn't know what to say. This was deep; not to mention a part of Brooke she's never seen; or a part of Brooke no one's seen, probably.  
"Haley, I'm pregnant." It came out before she even thought about it more. She needed to tell someone, and who better to tell than her best friend?  
"What"  
Brooke didn't repeat it; just watched her.  
"How do you...did you take a test?" stuttered Haley.  
Brooke nodded. "And...I even went to the doctor to make sure. I definitely am"  
Haley furrowed her eyebrows with a sigh. "No wonder you wanted Lucas out of here." She got up and walked over to her friend, hugging her. "It's going to be all right, Brooke. I promise"  
"How?" Brooke asked, starting to cry. "Haley, how is it going to be all right? I can't be a mom, I can't even handle myself. Much less a freaking baby. And my parents cut off all circuits toward me; pretty much wrote me off"  
"-because you're pregnant?" She nodded, wiping a tear with her palm.  
"How...far along are you?" Haley asked, lowing her voice.  
"About 10 weeks"  
"Well just...talk to Lucas about it, and it'll be all right. You'll be fine"  
"Talk to Lucas about it?" Brooke asked. "Did you just hear yourself? Talk to him about me getting knocked up for sure, this time. Not just a false alarm"  
"False alarm"  
Brooke sighed and wiped her eyes. "Yes," she said. "Last year after he broke up with me and...after the whole Peyton scenario...I thought I was pregnant. I took tests, and they were positive as well. Without going to the doctor, I told him I was pregnant"  
"Wow, I didn't know this"  
"Yeah," Brooke continued. "Then Luke took me to the clinic...they said they'd call me with the results...and they happened to call right as me and Luke were fighting. Right after he'd basically called me a slut. And they told me I wasn't pregnant. I...told him I was"  
"Oh man," Haley said with a small laugh. "Nice"  
Brooke shrugged. "I'd never seen that boy cry so much in my life"  
Haley laughed. "I've seen Lucas cry twice in my whole life. One was when we were younger and he broke his arm on the monkey bars. The other was...when Keith died"  
Brooke sympathetically nodded her head.  
"And when you broke up with him...," Haley said, remembering. She nodded. "He cried then too"  
"He cried when I broke up with him"  
Haley nodded again. "Yeah. He did"  
"I'm going to talk to him," Brooke decided.  
"Good," Haley said. "You really need to Brooke"  
"I know I need to," Brooke agreed. "But...it's not that easy. I'm...I've got such an ugly pride. And I'm not the remorseful type..at all. But I can be. It's just hard to actually...do it, you know?" Brooke stood up.  
"I understand"  
"I'm going to go to sleep, I think," Brooke said.  
Haley stood up too. "All right. We'll get things figured out tomorrow"  
Brooke nodded. "We'll see"  
"Good night"  
"Night."

The next morning, Haley sat up in her bed and stretched, looking down at Nathan. It was right at sunrise. Haley leaned down and kissed Nathan's temple, opening his eyes. He rolled over on his back watching her. "Hey, what're you doing up so early?" he asked, grungily.  
"I'm just gonna help Brooke with some things," she said. "Go back to sleep"  
He nodded. "Call me later or something"  
"I will." She rolled out of bed and walked to the living room to see if Brooke was awake yet. When she walked around to the front of the couch, all that was laying there were Brooke's blankets. No Brooke. 


	3. All For You

Brooke didn't know what she was doing. She didn't even know how she ended up on Lucas's porch; at this time of the morning even. But she was there. And that's all that mattered. She knocked on his door.

It was about a minute and there was no response. She knocked again, but way lighter this time. She heard shuffling around behind the door, so she put her ear up to the door. It opened. She quickly took a step back.

"Brooke?" Lucas said, shocked to see her. He stepped into the doorway and stretched. "You need something?"

_Are you kidding me?_ Brooke thought to herself. _Of course I need something_. "Just...," she stumbled for words. _What am I doing?_ she thought again. Brooke took a step back from him again, and crossed her arms to her chest tightly. "I left Tree Hill for you," she told him.

"What?"

"I left for you," she continued, not looking at him. "But I came back for me." Her eyes slowly made her way up to his and a chill went through her body when her eyes connected with his for the first time since she'd come back.

"Why did you break up with me, Brooke?" Lucas blunty asked. "_Why_ did you leave us?"

"You should have seen yourself with Peyton, Lucas," Brooke defended. "I had no choice _but_ to think you were in love with her. You didn't act with her like you did with me. You seemed so happy, Lucas. You may not have known it, or felt it. But you...you loved her more than me. You weren't the same person around me as you were with her. I...didn't want to be the one stopping you from being the beautiful person I saw in you then, Luke." She felt herself starting to get emotional, which was the _last_ thing she wanted right now.

He shook his head. "You couldn't be more wrong about this...-"

"-_Lucas_," she cut in. "Please let me finish."

He just watched her, almost _afraid_ of what else she was going to say.

She took a deep breath, trying to put it all together. So many things were on her mind; _too _much, actually. "I...," she started again, lowering her tone. "Lucas, I came back because in California, _I_ wasn't happy. _I_ wasn't the person I am here." She shook her head. "I mean..maybe I'm not the girl for you, Lucas. Maybe I'm not, and maybe I am. Who really knows? But _you_ are the guy for me. Okay? And the only way _I_ can be happy...is with you."

Lucas took a step back, putting his hand on the doorknob. "Come inside," he told her softly.

Brooke hesitantly walked into his room. The room she'd spent _most_ of her time in back when...they were together. She looked at his bed, and another missed memory flashed through her mind: _"Hey Pretty Girl," Lucas had said, walking into his bedroom in the middle of the night to find his beautiful Brooke lying in his bed._

_"Hey. I would've slept in my car...but I heard a noise, and I thought it was a bear."_

_"Where were you parked?" he'd laughed._

_"Right...outside here," she said innocently._

_He crawled into bed with her and wrapped his arm around her body, sending the comforting sensation through Brooke's body that always made her feel that nothing was wrong in the world. "Have I told you how much I love you today?"_

_"Not really," she replied._

_"Well I do," he said. "And even when I don't tell you, it means a lot to know you're there. In fact..it means everything."_

_"I am here," she told him. "We both are."_

_"I know. It's good being here...especially with you."_

_After a short pause, she'd spoken up. It was so easy for her back then. "I wish it were me. I know that's horrible, and I know that's selfish. But you told me you rescued Dan from the fire..and I watched you rescue Peyton...sometimes I just wish you could rescue me."_

_"From what?"_

_"All of it," she said._

_"Okay then," he promised. "I will. Only if..you promise to rescue me back."_

_"Okay."_

"You _are_ the girl for me," Lucas said.

Brooke almost jumped, snapping back into reality. "What?"

Lucas walked over to his bed and sat on the edge of it, throwing a sweatshirt over his bare skin. "You said that _maybe_ you weren't the girl for me," he reminded her. "But you are. And _I _know it."

"How do you _know_ it?"

Lucas got up and walked over to her. He looked at her for a couple of seconds and then took her in his arms, just holding her in an embracing hug for about a minute. She closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder.

Not letting go of her, Lucas whispered,"_This_ is how I know."

Brooke opened her eyes, and laid her hands on his chest. _Tell him_, Brooke thought to herself. The words of her pregnancy, their baby, almost came from her lips, but Lucas took her face in his hands and kissed her softly and tenderly. She opened her eyes to look into his; the realness of all of this overwhelmed her and she pushed back, both emotionally and physically. "I've missed you, Luke," Brooke said lowly, almost in a whisper but not quite. It was casual as could be though.

He watched her and smiled. "Oh...I don't even think I _need_ to tell you how much I missed you."

Then there was a knock on the door, and she walked on in anyways. "Luke, I'm sorry for coming so early, but I _really_ need to talk to you about us."

Both Brooke and Lucas turned and saw Peyton standing there in the room with them now.

Peyton was there to tell him how she felt. _Crap_, Peyton thought. What was Brooke doing there? Now? She figured that if she caught Lucas at an early enough hour, Brooke wouldn't be around; or at _all_ anytime soon, anyways.

Brooke looked at Lucas took a step back from him. _Do you know she's in love with you?_ Brooke thoughts directed to Lucas. Lucas was still looking at Peyton.

"What _about_ us?" Lucas asked.

Peyton truly didn't care about Brooke anymore. She didn't. She cared about her feelings; something she'd _learned_ from Brooke herself. "I...really...Luke, I can't take it anymore. I _love you_."

"_How dare you?!_" Brooke walked toward Peyton vastly.

"Brooke, stop!" Lucas said, pulling Brooke back. "Calm down."

"Calm down?" Brooke repeated as she stopped. She didn't face Lucas; still Peyton. "Why can't you just stay _out of my life_, Peyton?" Brooke didn't ask this with hate. She didn't ask it with sternness; it was a simple question. Or at least as simple as it was going to come from Brooke Davis's mouth, anyways.

"I can't help who I love, Brooke," Peyton said. "And neither...can he."

Brooke cocked her head to the side. "What's that supposed to mean?" She didn't want to look at Lucas's face during this. She kept her back to him.

"What gives you the right to come back after a month of leaving all of us..._Lucas_..whom you haven't even claimed to love to me yet, by the way," Peyton said. "What makes you think he still loves you? _Why_ should he have to hang on to you when you can't even say how you feel for once? He deserves better."

"I hope to God that you don't think _you're_ the 'better' he deserves," Brooke bluntly said. "You're mistaken, _sweetheart_."

"Peyton-" Lucas tried to cut in.

All Peyton was hoping, _longing_, was that Lucas felt the way she thought he felt. Before letting Lucas get a word in edgewise, she kept on. "Brooke, I watched you tear Lucas apart. I was there when _you_ left him."

"Peyton," Brooke said calmly. "Get out of my sight before I do something I'm going to regret later."

"Hit me again, Brooke! I don't give a rat's ass! I'm sick of you messing with Lucas's head like this! And it's effecting me too; preventing me from coming out with how I really feel. I don't care anymore, and I _really_ think...you don't either. I love him," Peyton said, looking at Lucas with fret in her eyes. "Lucas...I do. I mean it."

"-Brooke's not-" Lucas tried again. He didn't stand a chance with the two girls he was in the presence of.

"You don't know a thing about me," Brooke scolded her. "How _dare_ you march in here and tell me how Lucas feels; how _I_ feel. You're too spiteful to even realize what might _actually_ be going on. All you care about is your stupid little self...and what _you_ get. And what you don't get? You ruin people's lives till you get it." Brooke took a breath, trying to calm down. It wasn't working. "Now leave...or I'm leaving." Brooke pointed to the door our of fury. Tears were in here eyes from all the anger that'd cast into her.

"You leave," Peyton said. "You're the expert."

Brooke stared at her with disgust. WIthout ever looking back at Lucas, she stormed out of the door.

Peyton looked back at the door, surprised and shocked that Brooke actually walked out on them like that. She looked back at Lucas. "Luke," she whispered. She walked closer to him. "I meant it...I'm so sorry..." She neared him to hug him like she would have done in any other situation. Before she could, though, Lucas stepped aside.

"Yeah," he said in a low tone. "Me too." He looked at Peyton once more and walked passed her out the door. And for the first time, he went after he Brooke; _clearly_ over Peyton.


	4. Quick Author's Note!

Author's Note 

hey guys. i'm _really_ sorry it's been so long & i'm obviously due for an update; school's been hectic..i've had finals..but everything's smoothing out now & i'm noting just to let you know that chapter 4 is in progress.

thank you all _so_ much for the reviews; _way_ more than i expected...thanks again!

--oh! and if anyone has any suggestions on how they'd like to see this the story go..which "route" you'd like to see me take it..i'm open to them. let me know!


	5. Put Aside Your Fears

Peyton watched the door that Lucas (and Brooke) just walked out of. She backstepped over to Lucas's bed and flopped down on it. _How was I so wrong about this_? she asked to herself. She knew these feelings weren't merely a fabrication. At least she didn't _think_ they were. Peyton laid back on his bed and put her hands over her eyes. "I _do_ love him. I _do_," Peyton said. This had to be a mistake; not on her part, but his.

"You love _who_?" Peyton heard, as she shot up at once. Haley had walked into Lucas's doorway.

"Haley," Peyton uttered. "You scared me."

"What...are you doing here? This early?" Haley asked, as she looked around, walking further into her best friend's room. She looked at his unmade bed and drew her eyes back to Peyton slowly. "And...where's Lucas?"

"I came here to talk to him. Haley, I told him how I felt," Peyton said, with a confused and yet relieved look on her face. "I..I don't know where he's at."

"What did he say when you told him?"

"Nothing," Peyton sulked.

"You...told him you had feelings for him and he just _left_," Haley stated. "_Wow_, that doesn't sound very Lucas-ish."

"He went after Brooke, Haley," Peyton said. "All right?"

_Brooke!_ Haley thought to herself. She crossed her arms to her chest and just watched Peyton, who stood up from the bed.

"I don't understand this; any of it," Peyton started. "I mean, I probably sound really needy and selfish, but is it so wrong to want someone who I _love_..love me back for once?" Peyton put her hair behind her ears. "Just this once, I wanted to be with him, Haley. Be happy with the guy I love...then Brooke. The _epitimy_ of 'selfish', comes back and lures him from me again."

"Peyton, you do realize that _he's_ doing the choosing, right?" Haley pointed out. "He's not just some toy that you and Brooke are supposed to take turns with."

"I know it. But every time Brooke leaves, me and him have something. I mean, _sure_, it's not official or romantic, but I can feel it. We have something there still that hasn't ever diminished, Haley. I don't know why he keeps running from us..."

"...maybe because he really _does_ love Brooke?" Haley asked. "Peyton, I'm sure you _do_ love Lucas. But so do I. What...what about Jake? I mean, weren't you in love with him? And what about Pete. What happened to all of them?"

"They're not like Lucas. Jake said that I love Lucas..." Peyton stopped and realized that how she said that sounded bad. "I...do love him. And I _know_ that Brooke and Lucas have something. I know that just like everyone else knows it. But what about us?" Peyton shook her head. "I'm not giving up on it. Not this time; Brooke's had that upper hand this whole time, and I'm not going to let it happen again."

"Don't hurt anyone, Peyton."

"Just like they've all hurt me?" Peyton snapped. "Haley, why are you playing sides so freaking much? What, has Brooke just been talking bad about me and turned you against me, too? We used to be friends. What happened to you?"

"_Nothing_'s happened to me, Peyton. But Brooke is my good friend just like _you_ are too. And I know that she's hurt you, but you don't need to hurt her. Brooke and Lucas belong together. Don't mess this up for them. That's it."

"I guess I'm alone on this then," Peyton stated.

"If you're referring to trying to get Lucas and Brooke messed up worse than they are, then yeah. You _are_ alone. Because I'm not helping. I'm not helping anyone," Haley told her. "Just _don't_ hurt Lucas. Whatever you do; do _not_ mess with him."

"Wouldn't think of it," Peyton said. And just like that, she walked out of the door, leaving Haley in Lucas's room.

Brooke made it back down to the curb she'd come familiar with the previous night when she stopped walking. She looked into the cafe windows from across the street, and down the road. Seeing Lucas coming after her made her heart pound, and she wasn't sure if it was for the good or the bad.

"Brooke," Lucas said, almost out of breath when he finally got to her. "You run _fast_."

"Lucas, I wasn't wrong. I knew I wasn't," Brooke said. "Go be with her. I'm...I'll be fine. Don't explain anything to me; you don't have to. Just go."

"Brooke stop this," he told her. "I don't want to be with Peyton. I'm not in love with her. It's simple as that. There's nothing to explain..."

"She's in love with you. You can't tell me that that doesn't change anything for you," she said, turning to face him. "Look, I'm willing to let you go be with her. I don't want us to end up like we did the last 2 times we tried being together. So go now...and...we can be friends..."

Lucas laughed. "What part of _I want to be with you_, don't you understand?"

"You _can_'t, Lucas," Brooke said. "Peyton loves you."

"And _I_ love _you_," Lucas told her. "All right? Not Peyton. If I loved Peyton, I'd be back in my room with _her_ right now."

"She's going to be upset and cling onto you again," Brooke said. "And...I've got a lot on my plate right now." Her tone moved down to a whisper.

"Talk to me about it," Lucas said with sincerity.

_You have him now, Brooke. Just confide for once_, Brooke told herself. It was time, and she started to let down her guard. He _did_ choose her over Peyton this time; it was only fair.

Lucas looked down into her eyes; the eyes that were looking away from his. The thing they did only when she had a lot on her mind. Her mind was spinning 100 miles per hour, and Lucas saw the scared look behind her beautiful green eyes. "Walk with me," he said lowly.

She looked up at him and nodded. He reached down and took her hand, and they started to walk.

"What's going on, Brooke," Lucas asked, after they'd walked about a minute in silence.

Brooke was shaking, this terrified her more than anything else that had confronted her in her life. "I..." Then she stopped.

"Is it something with your parents...?" Lucas asked, trying to get her going.

"No," Brooke said. "Well...yeah. I don't know. Sort of."

"Is something _wrong_?" Lucas asked her.

That was a good question; _was her pregnancy wrong_? "I'm not sure yet."

"Brooke just tell me. I want to help you with this; I'm _here_. Talk to me," he said.

She nodded, as they walked, both of them looking at the ground as they did so. "My parents cut off all money circuits for me. In California, just this passed week, they did."

Lucas took it in; _was that it_? "Why...would they do that?"

"I don't know," Brooke said. "They probably think I'm some whore or something. Which is practically what they said."

If Lucas had made a list of things he didn't want to hear; that would've probably been on the top 5.

"No, Luke," Brooke said, noticing his silence. "I didn't sleep with anyone."

"Why would they call you that?" Lucas asked. "You're _not_. At all."

Brooke nodded, feeling tears come into her eyes. "Because their daughter got knocked up. And they think she's a sleaze."

Lucas stopped and took his hand from hers. "What?"

She'd taken two steps ahead of him and turned to face him slowly. "I'm sorry."

"You're..._pregnant_?" Lucas asked.

"See? This is why I didn't want to see you. I didn't want to burden you with this; it hurt you so much last time..."

"No, Brooke. Stop," he told her.

"I think that if we do it early enough, and no one knows, I can get an abortion no problems..."

"Brooke! _Stop!_" Lucas said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You're _not_ killing this baby."  
"We're 18 years old. I can't take care of a kid."

"You're not going to. _We're_ going to. Brooke, just calm down. Relax," Lucas said. "Look at me."

She swallowed heavily and looked into his eyes, with a single tear coming down her cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be here. For you; _with_ you. Everything will be okay," Lucas told her. "I _promise_."

"Peyton can't know," Brooke told him.

"What?"

"Everyone will think we're together because of it."

"She won't know till she has to know," Lucas said. "Don't be afraid with this; we'll be okay."

"I don't see how..."

"You don't have to see how right now," Lucas told her. "But we will. You just got to trust me, all right?"

She nodded. "I will. I do."

He watched her for confirmation and he nodded. "Okay," he whispered. He brought her into a hug and just held her, kissing the side of her head. Truth? _He was terrified of this_. It was honestly his biggest fear. But he couldn't let her know that. If she knew that; there would be no baby.


End file.
